Ya, I didn't go shopping for one. I was at Home Depot and walked by the clearance table. There was a Lincoln Weld Pak 180 their for $340 bucks. Searching back inside my brain- I remebered that that might be cheap. I checked list price and sure enough they are $799? It is missing the regulator, which I hope I can buy seperatly? I have no idea which one to get. And I might add I've not welded anything in about 35 years. So I guess i'm gonna get started learning something new. I think I went there in the first place to look for some kitchen cabinet stuff for her and forgot to look at them! The little women is not to excited about the new purchase. What should I do for the regulater? I have no idea. Welding newbie here, only know enough to burn something up. I better start reading.
If the machine is complete except for the regulator and is in working order you made a good deal . You can buy a regulator for a lot less than the price difference. Frank
i have seen flowmeters on ebay for under $20, i got a smith a while back for my tig. you might check around locally for a used bottle too. most welding shops will trade bottles in for a 75/25 mix like you need. they don't even have to be argon/ co2 just marked sold.
Good deal on the welder. I bought my Lincon weld Pac 125 plus with cart and bottle for 749.00. new. I had to hide it from the wife for a couple of years but when the cats away boy do the mice ever play. Hope you enjoy it and have fun.
yea thats a good welder i bought the same one like 6 months ago used from a guy, but mine doesn't have a regulator either its set up for flux core I'm only using it for patch panels so i currently don't need a regulator. and when you add the regulator and using gas you have to change the polarity of the gun, all you have to do is open the side door and flip the wires with the wing nuts holding down the 2 cables, and if your going to do lite welding nothing thick than just stick with flux core.
Great buy! As stated above, a regulator should be no problem from any gas supplier. My 2 cents on gas suppliers, as I have acquired used tanks through the years that I have to take to 3 different suppliers to fill, is that they vary in policy as far as what they will let you swap, some will want you to lease, some will sell to you, some will fill anything with a date stamp, so look around. In Ok, I would think getting welding tanks should be no problem with all the oilfield work. And with old tanks, if you get some that are out of date, keep dragging them to another supplier, its the guy on the dock who makes the decision, to some, "a tank's a tank"
Thanks for all the advise-So should I get an Argon tank? or CO2. I would guess the answer would depend on my needs but heck, I didn't know I was gonna get this until just now! thanks again. I'm gonna weld sumpthin'
Sorry to hear that! Maybe you can take it back and exchange it for a case of JB weld,LOL!!!!!! I would use argon....
i do alot of welding and basically the all-around choice would be the 75/25 argon Co2 mix. make sure you get what you want tho alot of times around my woods they give me the wrong bottle.
Very nice welder for the money and at that cost you cant go wrong .I started my business with that welder .My 2 cents
the 75/25 is a lot cheaper if all you are going to be welding is mild steel. even if you get a used bottle that's out of date, some suppliers can pressure test it. the suppliers i use will switch any bottle for any one you want. one time i took in a co2 for soda and they gave me a 75/25 full plus cash back! hr
One way or the other you need to figure out what local welder's supply you're gonna use. Call around then go buy a full bottle. Around 30" tall is a good size for the home user. They're probably not gonna be cost competitive on bigger stuff that can be bought over the net (like a regulator), but you will be down there once or twice a year looking for gas refill or miscellaneous supplies. Random advice... If you have a bottle it must be restrained. So buy or make a cart for the very first project. Cheap carts will need welded anyway, they suck. Don't use cheap wire. Only buy lincoln, miller, or anything the local welder's supply pushes. Do not under any circumstance use harbor freight or imported no-name wire. Inconsistencies in the wire make it randomly burn slower or faster and screw up an otherwise perfect welding process Keep tips and wire on hand for 2 basic setups. Smallish MIG, and larger diameter wire feed. MIG welding is great for thin material, cool heat, appearance welds. Wire/gasless is better for big dirty hot stuff. And when you run out of bottle on sunday. You can try to fool yourself that you're only gonna set it up one way because of the planned work.......however now work will find you. Welcome to welder ownership. You never know who will knock on your door or what broken metal item they'll be holding. Auto darkening helmets have been around for decades, and are available cheaply used. Get a high quality helmet with a large lens, even if it's beat to hell. Mine is a EQC professional that was used for factory production welding for a couple years. Great great helmet and the larger viewscreen really helps. Whatever helmet you buy, the outer lens is just a clear replaceable sheet, there's like 3 sizes in the entire world, and they're all a 5 spot at the local welder's store. Headsets are replaceable too. Lifelong investment probably. good luck
Sounds like a good deal. I stopped by one of those traveling tool shows, just for sits and grins,and found they had a new Craftsman MIG for $150.00, I snatched it up.
Yup, Thats a good Deal !! Wish i would stumble on a deal like that. But i wonder where some of you guys come up with these Chicks that get Mad at your purchases ? I have Never had a Woman get mad at any of my purchases, As long as the Bills are paid i have been Golden.
Very good buy and you bought a good brand.I bought a AIRCO "Dipstick 160"which was a TIG,MIG and AC-DC stick all in one 25 years ago for $1,500 new. Have used it all of this time with only having to replace the liner.A good thing to remember is don't buy a cheap regulator!!! And when you open the valve do it veeery Slooow or you will destroy it.Have fun.
Good buy. I think that's the welder I have. I have been to cheep to buy the bottle yet so I have been using flux cored wire. For small jobs I don't think flux core is a bad deal but for larger jobs it can be a pain to clean up. But I probably don't know what I am talking about cause I am not really a welder. Next bit of cash that comes my way will be invested in a bottle. One bit of advice, buy the 10lb wire roll, not the 1lb. One 10lb roll of wire cost about the same as 4 1lb rolls.
I went to a guys metal shop yestarday he does cnc plasma cutting and he just happened to have a lincon 125 pretty much brand new with everything but the bottle 30 hrs of use. I bought it for 150.00 bucks.
Just tell the little woman, "I'm a man, and I can change, if I have to, I guess" (Red Green Show). WHY did't she go with you; after all, this was for her, right? New cabinets, flowers, dinner out, and you'll be fine. My welders; it's got to where I never use them anymore, but I'm not letting go of them either. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
The Jalopy Journal
